toselli



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. B. TOSELLE.

SELF-ACTING GRAPNEL No.174,44.-8. Patented March 7,1876.

N-PETERS, PHOTO-LlYvOGR/FHER, WASHINGTUN. [1,0,

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. B. TOSELLI. SELF-ACTING GRAPNEL.

Patented March 7, 1876.

".FE'IENS, FNUTO-LITHOGRAFNER, WASHINGYON. Y} C UNITED STATES n'rnn'r,FFIGE.

JEAN BAPTISTE TOSELLI, OFPARI S, FRANCE.

IMPROVEMENT lN SELF-ACTING GRAPNELS..

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. 17 1,4 18, dated March7, 1876; application filed February 5, 1876.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JEAN BAPTISTE To- SELLI,of Paris, France, have invented an.

Improved Automatic Grapnel for recovering submerged objects from thebottom of the sea, lakes, and rivers; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, referencebeing had to the annexed sheet of drawings, makingia part of the same.

My invention relates to an improved automatic grapnel for recoveringsubmerged objects from-the bottom of the sea, lakes, and rivers. l e Thedistinctive feature of the improved grapnel of this invention is that itis expanded and closed automatically by the mere resistance of thewater. These improved grapnels may be constructed in two ways. Accordingto one arrangement the grapnel is expanded by being suddenly raisedwhile immersed in the water. The second arrangement, on the other hand,is made toexpandby the act of lowering in the water, but in both casesthe resistance of the water'is the agent by which the arms of thegrapnel are caused to expand or close together without any mechanicalaid, as will be readily understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings.

Figure 1 shows a plan of one arrangement of my improved grapnel with thearms expanded, whileFig. 2 is a vertical elevation of the same withthe-arms hanging together.

a, boss of the grapnel, having an eye or ring, I) for attachingthe ropec, by which the gr-ap nel is suspended d, grapnel-arms, in anyconvenient number, disposed equidistantly around boss a, to which theyare jointed at e. The said arms are curved in such manner as toresemble, when the whole are hanging together, a kind of skeletonsphere, as seen in Fig. 2, the said arms being furnished with flukes orpalms f, resembling those of an anchor. In the one arrangement, shown inFigs. 1 and 2, these palms are at the extremities of the arms, while inthe second arrangement they are near the bossof the grapnel. y

The grapnel shown in Figs; 1 and 2 is expanded and closed in thefollowing manner:

The grapnel is lowered to the bottom with the arms in the closedposition, Fig. 2, and

when over the object to be raised the arms are caused to expand by asudden pull on rope c, whereupon the resistance of the water within thearms, acting on the palms f, will tend to open out or expand thearms,-as shown in Fig. l, and in dotted lines in Fig. 2. On againlowering the grapnel the arms fall inward by their own gravity, and whenthey have grasped the object to be raised, the grapnel may be slowlybrought to the surace.

Fig. 3 shows a plan, and Fig. 4: an elevation, of the second arrangementof my improved grapnel. The same reference-letters are used as in Figs.1 and 2 to indicate the same parts.

As will be seen from the drawing, this arrangement only differs from theforegoing as regards the position of the palms or blades f, which inthis case are placed near the jointed ends 0 of arms d. The resistanceof the water thereon acts in the reverse manner to the foregoing,inasmuch as, on lifting the grapnel by the rope c, the volume of watercomprised within the arms opposes no such resistance to arms d as wouldcause them to expand, but on lowering the grapnel the resistance of thewater opposes the descent of the palms or blades f, and thus causes thearms to expand, as indicated in dotted lines.

It will be evident that these improved grapnels may be made of allsizes;andof proportionate strength, but when a heavy objectsis grappled it isnecessary to have the means at hand for raising it. In the absence ofother means this result is obtained-in a very simple manner by attachingto the grapnel (see Fig. 5) a chain of expanding air-bags, A A, ofsuitable size, made of strong canvas or other material, which has beenrendered air-tight. These air-bags A A are united together by metalunions B B, securely attached to the same.

In order to raise a heavy object from a great depth, the grapnel islowered together with a number, more or less, of these air-bags,connected in the form of a chain, whose upper end is placed incommunication with an airpump by an indie-rubber pipe, E F. This tube'isaccompanied by a rope, O D, of sufficient strength to support the weightofthe chains and of the apparatus, so that no strain liable to break thetube E F shall be borne by the same. After grappling the object, theairbags A A are inflated, and displace a proportionate amount of water,until the object is lifted from the bottom. When the air-bags arive atthe surface of the watelythe object held in suspension, as it were, issecured and transported into shallower water.

I claim- 7 1. A grapnel provided with pivoted or jointed arin s, havingflukes or palms arranged as described, so that the arms are made to JEANBAPTISTE TOSELLI.

Witnesses FELIX ORET, BOBT. M. HooPER.

